Dutch heritage information and interesting links to all things Dutch. A hundred years of collected recipes plus Lake Michigan in all its moods and beauty, also, assorted weird or fun facts.
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MICHIGAN COTTAGE COOK

SUMMER AT THE BEACH

Friday, December 31, 2010

This morning I was reading the sign board on an earlier posting that told about the New Year Traditions in Vietnam. I really liked them. I especially liked the aspect of life on New Years to honor the Earth with Gratitude. Maybe we would treat the earth better if we honored it on New Years.

The second aspect is Respect for the Dead. Red scrolls are printed with poetry that reads, paying respect to our ancestors for our family, or returning the favor to our family for raising us. A departed family member is named. A stick of incense is burned for each name as prayers are said, and singing bowls are played.

I name my family to be honored: Minnie, Julia and Ernest.

As you know by now, I am all about keeping the stories alive of my parents and grandparents for the next generations. They are so easily lost. There are so many questions I wished I had asked before everyone past over. Following the Vietnamese tradition, I think New Years should become a time of family stories. I added my stories to the Christmas celebrations and there was the traditional eye rolling. I know I didn't listen as well as I should have or as I would listen now if they could only tell me again.

I name my family to be honored: Harry and Julia.

My Mom prepared this salad every Christmas. It was my job to cut and seed the grapes as there were no seedless grapes back then. There were very few fresh fruits available back in the 1940's and 1950's. Oranges, bananas and grapes were a few of the only fruits available in the winter. All the other fruit we ate was canned.

Sweet, cold and juicy. Enjoy!!!!

MOM’S CHRISTMAS SALADSo many fruit salads are filled with puddings or heavy creams. This one is healthy, easy to make, and refreshing to eat. Mom would serve it as a fruit cup, but the salad looks beautiful in a glass bowl on a buffet too.

Approximately 1 lb. red grapes, halved and seeded if necessary or to tasteApproximately 6 large Navel oranges, peeled and cut into chunksSugar to tasteApproximately 2 bananas, slicedOrange juice, if desired

Cut the white pith off the orange so the juices are able to flow. Combine the grapes and oranges. Sprinkle with sugar and mix together. It does not take much sugar to make this salad sweet. Chill. Just before serving, add bananas and gently mix together. If you want more juice, add a touch of orange juice. Serve in fruit cups.

Rinse grapes well.

Cut the skin and pith off the orange.

Cut orange into pieces.

Cut grapes in half.

Combine oranges and grapes.

Sprinkle with some sugar. Don't use too much as the juices from the grapes and oranges will sweeten the salad too.

Chill and allow the sugar to pull the juices from the fruit. I like to chill overnight.

Just before serving, add sliced bananas. Add a little orange juice if you want more juice in the salad. Put salad in a pretty, clear, glass bowl.

Serve like my Mom as a fruit cup or place bowl of salad on a buffet table. Enjoy!!!

About Me

I'm an old lady living in an even older little cottage perched in the middle of a sand dune called 5 Mile Hill. Our kitchen is tiny, no dishwasher :( and about two by two and half feet of counter space:(. I lived, as a girl, in a multi-generation home. My Mom and Grandma were fabulous cooks. I started collecting their recipes almost as soon as I could write. I attended Michigan State University and have a B.S. degree in Food Science. My husband and I love ethnic foods and recreating at home the dishes we have when eating out. I have worked developing new products in the food industry and as a cook doing large quantity cooking. The beautiful pictures are done by my husband, Tom. He also helps with technical problems!
In April of 2011, Tom passed away from cancer. I am working my way through the grief and want to continue the blog even though I no longer have my picture-taking, problem-solving partner.